Combination freezer and refrigerator with fast freezing means



Sept. 16, 1969 M XWELL 3,466,891

COMBINATION FREEZER AND REFRIGERATOR WITH FAST FREEZING MEANS Filed Sept. 6, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Sept. 16, 1969 R. D. MAXWELL 3,466,891

COMBINATION FREEZER AND REFRIGERATOR WITH FAST FREEZING MEANS Filed Sept. 6, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 2 FIG 5 "hafm AT TORNE Y United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 62-419 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination freezer and refrigerator which, in its preferred form, includes a pair of vertically stacked compartments separated by a horizontal partition containing the evaporator and air circulating unit. A large vertical plenum chamber is located on and behind the rear walls of the two compartments and receives the chilled air from the evaporator which in turn passes it directly to both compartments through separate outlets in the plenum chamber front wall. A third outlet in the freezer compartment, also directly through the plenum chamber front wall, feeds the rear of a separate freezing tunnel therein for the production of ice cubes and the like. The tunnel has a front door and its top wall includes a main air outlet from the tunnel to the freezer compartment and a number of smaller outlets spaced thereover which constitutes the top wall a freezing shelf for fast freeze of articles placed thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A current trend in the design of combination freezers and refrigerators is to employ a single evaporator for both the freezer and refrigerator compartments and other refrigerating functions rather than separate evaporators for each. While for this reason many costs are lessened, yet additional ducting has become necessary as well as forced air circulation and it becomes more difficult in other respects to adapt the single evaporator arrangement to the diverse tasks which it must accomplish. For instance, since the temperature of the evaporator must be well below freezing in order to supply the freeze compartment, the air also supplied therefrom to the refrigerator compartment must be limited in order that its temperature not be too low. Customarily, thermo dampers are used for this purpose in the outlet to the refrigerator compartment. Likewise, the evaporator must be sufiiciently isolated so that it may be automatically periodically defrosted without undue warming of either compartment. This demands substantial ducting in order to connect the relatively remote evaporator and the two compartments to be cooled thereby. This is typically accomplished by a number of individual ducts, one for each compartment and other purposes such as ice making. Contact freezing is also no longer possible since there is no evaporator section directly in contact with the freezer shelves. Inasmuch as only cold air is available for freezing and since that air is typically diffused throughout the freezer compartment, it has become difficult or impossible to achieve as quick freezing as has been the case where the articles to be frozen can be placed directly in contact with a mass, such as a shelf, operating at subfreezing temperatures. Therefore, the chief object of the present invention is to provide some form of relatively fast freezing for ice cube production and other similar purposes, and at the same time to reduce the need of individual ducting in a single evaporator combination freezer and refrigerator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A unique freezing tunnel located in the freezer compartment is provided by the present invention into whose rear end subfreezing air is introduced and discharged at its front end, the latter end also normally being closed by a door. The top of the tunnel is formed as a fast freeze shelf and for this purpose is equipped with spaced fore and aft ribs which support articles thereon to be cooled. These ribs in turn form shallow channels therebetween along which, at the bases of the ribs, small auxiliary air outlets are provided which direct air up and around the articles to be cooled. When employed in a unit wherein both the freezer and refrigerator compartments are cooled by a single evaporator located in a horizontal partition separating the compartments, a large, vertical plenum chamber is also incorporated whose front wall is formed by portions of the rear walls of both compartments. The plenum chamber is equipped with three outlets in its front wall, one directly to the refrigerator compartment, one directly to the freezer compartment, and the third directly into the rear of the freezing tunnel, thus eliminating the need of additional, separate ducts to each from the evaporator in the partition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a vetrical section view, as partially indicated by the line 1-1 of FIGURE 2, of a typical freezer and refrigerator combination employing the features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the freezer and refrigerator combination shown in FIG- URE 1, the door of each compartment as well as that of the freezing tunnel being shown removed.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the freezing tunnel employed in the combination freezer and refrigerator of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is shown incorporated into a typical top mount combination freezer and refrigerator whose cabinet 10 contains an upper freezer compartment 12 and a lower refrigerator compartment 14, below the latter in turn being the customary machinery compartment 16 housing the compressor 18 and other refrigerant condensing components. Both compartments 12 and 14 are formed from a single liner 20 in cabinet 10, which is of the foamed insulated type, and separated by a horizontal partition, generally indicated at 22. The compartments 12 and 14 are closed by individual front doors 24 and 26 each equipped on its inner face with typical shelving 28. Suitable open shelving 30 is also provided in the refrigerator compartment 14 intermediate a pair of lower and upper glass topped shelves 32 and 34 beneath the former of which are hung a pair of laterally adjacent crisper pans 36 (only one being shown) which are closed by the shelf 32. Beneath the upper glass shelf 34 is suspended a closed meat keeper drawer 38, the shelf 34 also forming its top closure, which is spacedly surrounded by a cooling jacket 40.

The partition 22 comprises a molded block 42 of polyurethane sandwiched between a pair of configured panels, preferably of vinyl clad aluminum, which form the floor 44 of the freezer compartment 12 and the top 45 of the refrigerator compartment 14, the edges of partition 22 abutting the rear and side walls of liner 20. Partition 22 includes a fore and aft extending air passageway 46 molded therein in the midst of which is disposed a finned type refrigerant evaporator 48 on a floor panel 50, the fins of evaporator 48 also extending fore and aft of the passageway 46. Across the forward end of the latter are provided air inlets 52 and 54 thereto from the freezer and refrigerator compartments 12 and 14, respectively. The central portion of the rear of passageway 46 between the side walls of liner 20 is enlarged in thickness at 55 in order to provide a fan chamber 56 in which a fan motor '58 is mounted at its rear to the partition 22, the fan 60 itself operating in a suitable aperture 62 in the rear wall of liner 20. Fan 60, in turn, discharges centrally into a large, vertical plenum chamber 64, its front wall being formed by the rear walls 66 and 68 of compartments 12 and 14, respectively, and its rear wall being formed by a molded housing 70 disposed on the rear faces of walls 66 and 68 and imbedded in the insulation of cabinet 10.

Plenum chamber 64 is quite extensive. As indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2, it extends downwardly behind the rear wall 68 of refrigerator compartment 14, terminating in an air outlet 72 directly therethrough to compartment 14. Admission of air through outlet 72 is governed by a thermo damper (not shown) whose setting is controlled by a knob 74 on a molded diffuser 76 spaced forward of the rear wall 68. Above the outlet 72 plenum chamber 64 diverges laterally toward the left side of cabinet 10, as shown in FIGURE 2, at which point just above the floor 44 of freezer compartment 12 and adjacent its left-hand side wall, another air outlet 78 (see FIGURE 2) is provided in the rear wall 66 from chamber 64 for for purposes shortly to be described. Above the outlet 78 plenum chamber 64 then converges laterally and at its top terminates in a third outlet 80 therefrom in the rear wall 66 directly into the upper central portion of compartment 12. A diffuser 82 is spaced forward of outlet 80 and carries the main thermostat (not shown) whose setting is controlled by knob 84 thereon and which governs the operation of compressor 18 and fan motor 58. A small, separate duct 86 (see FIGURE 2) to the left of outlet 72 extends downwardly from chamber 64 to a horizontal conduit 88 through the rear compartment wall 68 and the rear wall of the meat pan jacket 40, whence a baffle 90 diffuses chilled air around the sides and bottom of the meat drawer 38, the air being discharged into I compartment 14 through an outlet (not shown) also in the rear wall of the jacket 40. A sliding, manually operable gate valve (not shown) controls the quantity of air admitted to conduit 88 and thus to the meat drawer 38. Suitable automatic defrosting means are provided for evaporater 48 and defrost water drains rearwardly along the floor 50 of passageway 46 into plenum chamber 64 whence a drain tube 92 removes it to the machinery compartment 16.

The freezing tunnel, collectively indicated at 100, is generally rectangular in section and comprises a high impact polystyrene molding having a pair of side walls 102, a top Wall 104, an open rear end and an open, inclined front end closed by an outwardly opening, spring biased door 106 horizontally hinged at its bottom at 108 to the lower front corners of the side walls 102 and equipped with a laterally extensive handle 110, the upper edge of door 106 abutting a pair of stops 111 molded in the upper front edges of side walls 102. Tunnel 100 is disposed as shown in FIGURE 2 along the lower left-hand side of freezer compartment 12 against the adjacent side wall of liner 20, the rear edge of the right-hand side wall 102 and a down turned flange 112 along the rear of top wall 104 abutting the rear compartment wall 66 and enveloping the outlet 78 therein from plenum chamber 64. Preferably tunnel 100 is retained in position by providing the lower edge of the right-hand side wall 102 and the abutting left-hand side edge of top Wall 104 with suitable molded tabs 114 which snap into recesses (not shown) in floor 44 and the side wall of liner 20. In the version illustrated, tunnel 100 is of sufi'icient capacity to receive a pair of laterally adjacent ice cube trays 116 (only one being illustrated in FIGURE 2). The underside of top wall 104 is reinforced by a number of laterally spaced transverse ribs 118, the rearward most such rib having a pair of laterally spaced, depending stops 120 forward of the rear wall 66 so that the ice trays 116 will not interfere with the flow of air from outlet 78. The upper side of top wall 104 is recessed to form a number of laterally spaced, fore and aft extending shallow channels 122 separated by fore and aft upstanding ribs 124 flush with the upper surface of topwall 104. The forward portion of each channel 122 is provided wtih a set of three laterally adjacent transverse slots 126 which together form a main air outlet from tunnel 100 adjacent its front end, the slots 126 sloping upwardly and forwardly so that the air is ejected in that direction into the freezer compartment 12. The bases of the ribs 124 are radiused into their respective channels 122 and each rib separating a pair of adjacent channels 122 is provided along each side of its base with a set of spaced, elongated auxiliary air outlets 128. As will be observed from FIGURE 5, each pair of outlets 128 on opposite sides of each rib 124 join therebeneath and then together communicate through a common opening 130 with the interior of tunnel 100. Thus air from the interior of the latter is directed upwardly and laterally outwardly from each rib 124 so equipped, the ribs 124 collectively serving to support items to be cooled thereon spacedly above the outlets 128 so that the chilled air may freely circulate along the channels 122 and up around the items.

While the invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, being the best mode known of carrying it out, it is, of course, not limited thereto. Indeed, as is obvious, the freezing tunnel may be readily adapted to other locations in the freezing compartment or, in fact, to differently arranged freezer and refrigerator combinations. Thus, the following claims are to be read as encompassing all modifications and adaptations of the invention falling within the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In a combination freezer and refrigerator having a first closed compartment for cooling to subfreezing temperatures and an adjacent second closed compartment for cooling to above freezing temperatures, access means at the front of each of said compartments, an air circulating passageway and a refrigerant evaporator disposed therein effective to cool air circulated therethrough to subfreezing temperatures, air circulating means effective to circulate air through said passageway and evaporator, air inlet means to said passageway upstream of said evaporator and air outlet means from said passageway downstream of said evaporator communicating with both of said compartments, the improvement comprising: a freezing tunnel disposed in said first compartment, said tunnel forming an enclosure effective to contain items to be cooled to subfreezing temperatures and including a front opening for access thereto normally closed by a door, air from said passageway cooled by said evaporator being supplied to said tunnel at the rear thereof, a main air outlet at its forward end for discharging subfreezing air from said tunnel into said first compartment, and ahorizontal top wall forming a freezing shelf effective to support items thereon to be cooled to subfreezing temperatures, said freezing shelf having a plurality of upstanding,.laterally spaced ribs, each pair of adjacent ribs forming an open topped channel therebetween, and a plurality of auxiliary air outlets disposed in said channels and distributed between the front aud rear of said shelf effective to circulate subfreezing air from said tunnel along said channels up around items to be cooled supported upon said ribs and thence into said first compartment.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said-main tunnel air outlet is included in the forward edge portion of said shelf, said auxiliary air outlets being spaced longitudinally along the bases of said ribs.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said compartments are vertically stacked with respect to each other and separated by a horizontal partition, said air circulating passageway being disposed in said partition and extending fore and aft thereof, said air circulating means circulating air through said passageway and evaporator from front to rear thereof and being disposed downstream of said evaporator, and wherein said combination freezer and refrigerator includes a plenum chamber vertically disposed along and to the rear of both of said compartments.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said air outlet means to said first compartment comprises an outlet directly thereto and a separate outlet to said tunnel, and wherein the front wall of said plenum chamber is formed by portions of the rear walls of both of said compartments and includes said air outlet to both said first compartment and said tunnel and said air outlet means to said second compartment.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said main tunnel air outlet comprises a plurality of openings disposed transversely across the forward edge portion of said shelf and effective to direct the air discharged therefrom in a generally upward and forward direction, and wherein said auxiliary air outlets are spaced longitudinally along the bases of said ribs and efiective to direct the air discharged therefrom in a generally upward and lateral direction with respect to said ribs.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said freezing tunnel is disposed on said partition and along one side of said first compartment, the rear wall of said first compartment including the portion thereof having said air outlet to said tunnel forming the rear wall of said tunnel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,962,875 12/1960 Barroero 62419 3,078,688 2/1963 Petkwitz 62419 3,232,071 2/1966 Wallen'brock et a1. 62419 3,243,972 4/1966 Wiese 62419 3,280,583 10/1966 Jones et al 62419 3,320,761 5/1967 Gelbard 62419 3,320,766 5/1967 King 62419 LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 6244l 

